Electrical receptacle.



G. B. THOMAS. ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE. APPLICATION HLED DEc.21. 1914.

Patented July 6, 1915 Gaza 15 H TwM/is Unitarian enrich GEORGE B. THOMAS, 0F BRIDGELPOBT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPOR'I, CONNECTICUT, A COBPQRATION 0F CON- .NECTICUT.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

ELECTRICAL REQEFTACLE.

Patented My 6, 11915.

Application filed December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,338.

To all wk 0112 it may copcern:

Be it known'that I, GEORGE B. THOMAS,

a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, 1n the county of -which my invention is embodied in one form; Fig. 2 is a side elevation at right angles thereto; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a receptacle.

In the form here shown the frictional grip upon the plug or base 8 is obtained by means of tongues 5, formed at one or more places in the usual screw shell terminal 6 of the socket and engaged by relatively heavy steel plate springs 7 which bear con stantly against the free ends of the tongues 5 and deflect the same inwardly into the path of the entering base of the lamp or the like. VVlii1e ,it isnot necessary that the tongues 5-should be formed with their free ends directed toward the bottom of the shell, as shown, I prefer this construction, and in any event it is highly desirablethat the shell be maintained in its complete annular form at its outer or receiving end so that the threads 9 therein remain undeformed and thus insure a proper-engagement with the threads of the entering base 8. The particular form of the springs which press these tongues 5 may be varied in many ways.

, That shown is perhaps the simplest form,

comprising a strap of spring steel bent at its lower end to'form a base 10 perforated to;

receive the securing screw 11 which passes up through the body '12 ofthe receptacle and takes into the threaded yoke 13, overlying the base flangcs-lt-iof the shell 6 in well known inannerm The free end of the spring 7 is sufficiently inclined inward to press the tongue .1 out of its normal position 1 plug or base.

so that it lies in the path of the entering The operation of the grip is obvious. As the lamp is screwed home within the receptacle, the base 8 engages the tongues 5 and as it enters farther into the receptacle forces the tongues outward against the pressure of the springs 7. The latter thus constantly press the tongues into a firm frictional grip against the lamp base and. prevent the latter from working loose under the influence of vibration. The number of the tongues 5 may be varied to suit the needs of the particular installation. Ordinarily two are sufficient. The use of two,'as shown,'is particularly convenient, inasmuch as it requires no change in the usual body construction of the socket, since the standard construction employs two securing screws 11 and these maybe conveniently used to hold the two springs 7 in position. It is also a relatively simple matter to form the tongues in the screw shell 6, since the screw shell is otherwise standard and it is merely neces sary to form a U-cut in the shell at the point at which it is desired to locate the tongues. In. the construction shown these cuts are made above the base flanges 1-1 of the shell.

I claim as my invention 1. A lamp recepta le having a threaded shell side contact complete at its receiving end but having a tongue formed in the side thereof, together with a relatively heavy spring normally deflecting the free end of the said tongue inward and into the path of an entering lamp. base or the like to frictionally grip and hold the latter against accidental rotary displacement.

2. A lamp receptacle having a threaded shell side contact complete at its receiving end, a securing screw for holding said shell in position on the receptacle body, a tongue formed in the side of said shell with its free end alined with said securing screw, in combination with a relatively heavy plate- I of an entering lamp base to frictionally grip and hold the latter against accidental rotary dis lacement. 4 v

amp receptacle having a threaded tionwith relatively heavy springs said securing screws and bearing against shell side contact complete at its receiving end 'and prcvided with base flanges at its opposite end, a pair of-securing screws pass- I ing. through said base .fianges, tongues formed on opposite sides cf said shelL centact above said base flanges, in c0m%inahel by the freeends of said tongues and serving to mdeflett the latter inward'intb the path of (iopies bi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing Washington, D. G.

an entering lamp base or the like t6 fricthe Coinmissioner of Patents, 

